Printing press



June 20, 1939. s, CRAFTS PRINTING PRESS, original Filed septl 15, 1933 vs sheets-sheet 1 NVENTO TTC R N EYS June 2o, 19.39. c. s. mns 42,163,374

PRINTING PRESS Original Filed Sept. l5, 1933 3 sheets sheet 2 c. S; nAl-Ts 2,163,374

PRINTING PRESS Original Filed Sept.4 l5, 1933 .lune 20, 1939.

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 'gg/Q INVENTOR 4 BY' Patented June 20, 1939 PATENT oFFlcE PRINTING PRESS l cui-tis s. crafts, oak rarkynl., assignor to 'rne-A Goss Printing Press Company, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation of Illinois Original application September 15,2`1933,"Serial No. 689,512. Divided and this application Sep'- tember 21, 1936, Serial No. 101,831 'I 5 claims. (Cl. T01-3,49)

The present invention relates to printing p-ress inking mechanism and more particularly to a novel and improved inking roller and mounting therefor particularly adapted for use with fast rotary printing presses.

Ob-jects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by prac-v tice with the invention, the same being realized 1U and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts,l construction, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein' shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a printing press embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a detailed sectional view ofthe mounting for the inking rollers embodying' the present invention taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a section taken on linev 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line `||'-||y of Figure 5; and

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Figures 2 to 4 with certain parts broken away.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a novel and improved mounting for the inking `rollers of a fast rotary printing press.

A further object is the provision of an improved inking mechanism in which distributing rollers are substantially independently movable toward and away from their distributing and transfer drums. Still another object is the provision of a novel and improved inking roller structure.

The present application is a division of my prior application Serial Number 689,512, filed September 15, 1933.

Referring now to the drawings, the inking drums proper `are shown chain-dotted as at 2|0 and 2|5 (Fig. 4) both oi said drums being mounted for rotation and being driven from the main drive for the cylinders of the printing couple.

Ink is supplied to the lower rotating drum 2||l in the usual Way by means of a fountain roller (not shown). The ink supplied to the drum 2|!! is then transferred to the printing couple by means now to be described consisting of a series of ink forwarding and distributing rollers and drums which spreadl the ink in a uniform film and then apply it vto the plate cylinder of the couple. v

As `previously stated, this invention contemplates the transfer and distribution of the ink to the plate cylinder. An ink transfer roller is shown at'260fand this roller is, adapted to normally contact simultaneously with the drums 2| 0 and :2|5.' Means are provided for rotatably supporting the transfer rollers 260, one lof which is i arranged on eitherA side' offthedrums 2|l) and 2|5 ina position'to simultaneously contact with the said drums.

Means are provided for minutely moving'the' roller 260 shown in thedrawings with respect to f5 either orjbOthoffthevv cylinders with which it ,n normallycontacts. As embodied these means compriseiarsmall frame or-hanger 265 having a generalv U shape, on one side 'of which is formed a socketwior receiving ball-bearings at the end of the transfer.' roller 260,this socket being pref-v erably ma'de'i'n-separable halvesv 266 and-261, one lof which is formed integrally with frame 265, while the otherlialf is secured to the rst half bymeans of studs 268 and extension wing 'nuts 269,'studs A268'being threaded into the sides of socket member 266 and passing through a slightly larger aperture in thesidesvoi socket member 261; Socket members 266 and 261 when held together by the studs 26S-form a cylindrical socket' having"bevel1ed side walls -into which may be closelyftted the ball-bearing Vassembly on `the end of the'roller'shaft; This ball-bearing assembly comprises a self-aligning ball-bearing 210, the inner vraceV of whichwhasfa slightly tapered bore'andis tte'donto aslotted 'cone 21| which, in turn,fis"tig htly tted to the reduced end portion 212 ofthe roller'shaft'b'y the inner bearing race. The linner end of this race is moved against Aa shoulder '213 on the roller vshaft by threaded collar 214 which is screwedy on the threaded outermostportion 215 of the roller shaft. The outer race rof ball-'bearing 210 is seated within aV cylindrical carrier r216 having a bevelled outer wall and is retained therein by a collar 211 f5 attached to the carrier 216 byscrews 218. Suitable lubricant'retaining rings 280 are providedA in members 216 and 211 t'o retain lubricant within the bearing; which lubricant may be introduced through the nipple 28| and the passageway o 282. l y f At its extreme end the roller shaft is provided with a relatively wide groove or annulus 284 which may be received within the lowest portion ofthe U ofthe hanger 265, providing a surface 5 on the roller shaft by which engagement can be made with the lower guiding surface 285 of the U-frame or hanger whereby the roller mlaybe pushed or rolled into operative position at the deepest section of the U as clearly shown in Figure 3 where the dotted section of the shaft 212 is shown first in the Yextreme right non-operating position and the full lined section of the shaft 212 is shown at the extreme left position when in operative position after having been rolled up the guiding incline 285.

In order to vary the pressure between the roller 260 and either the drum 2I0 or the drum 2|5, or both, for the purpose of causing an even transfer and distribution of ink on the roller 2I5 when the ink is transferred by the roller 260 from.' the drum 2l0 to the drum 2| 5,- there are provided within the legs of the hanger 265 openings 288 having guideways 289 along their sides. `A rectangular block 290 is provided for each guideway to Slide relatively thereto and each of the blocks 290 are secured to the side frame of the printing press (Fig. 1) by bolts 29| in such a way as to permit pivoting of the frame thereabout to an extent limited only by the extent of relative movement of blocks 290. The guide blocks 290 are threaded to receive the threadedrends of screws 292, each screw 292 being rotatably mounted in an aperture at the outer end of the leg ofthe U-frame with which it is cooperating and is held against axial mlovement with respect to its leg by means of avshoulder 293 fast on the shank of screw 292 and the cooperating head 294 uponthe screw. By turning the head 294 of' a screw 292 the socket 266 can be relatively moved on the block 290 or, in other words, the particular leg of the U-frame is moved relative to the fixed side frame of the unit. only one of the screws 292 is acted upon, only one side of the hanger will move and the whole assembly will pivot about the other bolt 29| secured to the side frame of the unit, thereby giving a complete forward or backward movement to one end only of the roller 260 depending on the movement given to screw 292. Thus, for in` stance, if in Figure 4 the upper nut 294 is turned, the whole of the U-frame will pivot about the lower screw 29| and the roller 260 will approach the lower roller 2||J and give a closer contact therewith without materially changing the setting with respect to roller 2I5; the amount of variation of this pressure between the roller 260 and the drum 2I0 being minutely adjustable, as will be obvious.

By moving both of the two screws 294 the whole of the hanger Will be moved inwardly and pressure betwen the roller 260 and bothof the drums 2I0 and 2|5 will be varied. Consequently, there is provided an accurate setting of the roller with respect to either the roller 260 andthe upper drum 2|5, or the roller 260 and the lower drum 2| 0, or both, and therefore any possible minute variation can be made in order to obtain the correct pressure therebetween. As previously stated, there will be a further transfer roller 260 provided on the other side of the ink couple ZIO, 2|5 and this may be supported in a U-frame or hanger in exactly the same way. l

As clearly shown in Figure 1, the axis of roller 260, the axes of pivot bolts 29| and the axes of the drums 2|0 and 2I5 lie in intersecting planes, the axis of the bolt 29| and the most distant drum lying in a single plane which also passes through or closely adjacent to the axis of the roller shaft 260. Thus, the roller may be moved Consequently, if

a relatively great distance with respect to the drum 2|U or 2| 5 without appreciable mlovement with respect to the other drum thereby permitting true independent adjustment of the roller 260 with respect to either or both of the drums.

The ink transferred from drum 2|0 to drum 2 I5 by the above described means is usually passed to the plate cylinder arranged thereabove through the medium of form inking rollers which also serve to transfer and distribute the ink from the drum 2|5 to the plate cylinder and obviously these form rollers can also be supported on a similar Ueshaped hanger to that used for the transfer rollers 260.

While the specific embodiment of the invention has been hereinbefore described with reference to a transfer roller such as 260 cooperating with the two main inking drums, one of which actu.- ally takes up the ink from the fountain roller or other supply and passes it to the other for in turn supplying it to the printing couple, it is obvious that in its broader aspects the invention may be applied to any inking arrangement where it is desired to obtain an accurate adjustment in a small amount between a roller and two cooperating rollers in contact normally therewith.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I claim is:

l. In an inking mechanism for printing presses, the combination of a pair of ink drums, a roller to contact with both drums, and a bracket pivoted at two points and in which the roller is rotatably mounted, the roller having its axis located substantially at the intersection of the planes connecting the pivot points with the drum axes.

2. In an inking mechanism for printing presses, the combination of a pair of ink drums, a roller to contact with both drums, a bracket pivoted at two points and in which the roller is rotatably mounted, and means for independently pivotally moving the bracket about either of its pivots, the roller having its axis located substantially at the intersection of the planes connecting the pivot points with the drum axes.

3Q In an inking mechanism for printing presses, the combination of a pair of ink drums, a roller` to contact with both drums, a bracket pivoted at two points and in which the roller is rotatably mounted, and means for independently pivotally moving the bracket about either of its pivots and for rigidly holding the bracket in any of its positions, the roller having its axis located substantially at the intersection of the planes connecting the pivot points with the drum axes.

4. In a printing press, the combination of a rotatable ink drum, an inking roller having shaft ends and positioned to bear against the drum, enclosed and dirt-protected, self-alining bearing assemblies on the shaft ends for rotatably mounting the roller and its shaft, means for introducing lubricant into said bearings, and socket members in which the assemblies are releasably secured, said socket members being individually movable towards the drum for adjustment of either or both ends of the roller.

5. In a printing press, the combination of a plurality of rotatable ink drums, an inking roller having shaft ends and positioned to bear against the drums, enclosed and dirt-protected, selfblies are releasably secured, said socket memalining bearing assemblies on the shaft ends for bers being individually and selectively movable rotatably mounting the roller and its shaft, towards the drums for adjustmentl of either or means for introducing lubricant into said bearboth ends of the roller.

f ings, and socket members in Which the assem- CURTIS S. CRAFTS. 5 

